266 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



specimen which Mr. Wigg bought in Yarmouth market 

 (Nat. His. of Yarm., p. 12, Intr. XII.). Uncharitable people 

 insinuate that he consigned it to the spit, like the Red- 

 breasted Goose which he bought there on another occasion. 

 We cannot be expected to credit a bird which was eaten ; 

 and if a man calling himself a naturalist could not get the 

 better of his unfortunate gastronomic tastes, he must pay 

 the penalty of not being believed. 



There is a note in the series sent by Mr. Joseph Clarke 

 to Mr. Stevenson, for the use of his work, upon this Duck, 

 as follows : — 



" One shot at Yarmouth in 1833.* Harvey sold it to Mr. Hoy." 



Now 1833 was the year before the "Nat. Hist, of Yar- 

 mouth " came out, and I think I may take it for granted 

 that this was not Mr. Wigg's bird ; but if it were another 

 one, how came it that the Messrs. Paget who, as is evident 

 from their introduction, were familiar enough with Harvey 

 the birdstuffer, pass it over in silence .'' and how also can we 

 account for there being no mention of it by Mr. Hoy in his 

 article on " Rare Birds killed in Suffolk and Norfolk in 

 1832 — 3" (London Journal for 1834; see also Mag. of 

 N. H., VII., p. 52), save by the supposition that they dis- 

 believed in it .'' 



There is also a drake in the Norwich Museum said to 

 have been killed near Yarmouth (Zool., 1380). I find that 

 it was presented in 1839 by my father, who does not believe 

 in it. Neither do I, for it was remounted, and Mr. Knight, 

 who took the stuffing out, told me that it had the appear- 

 ance of having been set up from a skin. I am sorry I have 

 not made out a better case for Norfolk, but such a rich 

 county can afford to spare one species ; I have no bias for 

 or against it, and only wish to get the unvarnished truth. 



* Mr. Clarke informs Mr. Stevenson that he saw it in the flesh, and 

 that it was a young male. 



